Lamp bulb holder



March 31, 1959 J. P. ZAZAC LAMP BULB HOLDER Filed Aug. 22, 1957 lnventor': Joseph P. Zazac, b9 W lllllllllllllll l 5 His A t tOTZ UnitedStates Patent LAMP BULB HOLDER Joseph P. Zazac, Painesville, Ohio,assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New YorkApplication August 22, 1957, Serial No. 679,565

2 Claims. (Cl. 279-2) This invention relates to a lamp bulb holder, andmore specifically to an apparatus for holding lamp bulbs which isreadily adaptable for accommodating various size lamp bulbs.

A bulb holder which is readily adaptable for different sizes and shapesof bulbs has application on various types of lamp making machinery. Forexample, it may be used to hold an electric projection bulb during theapplication of an opaque coating to portions of the outside of the bulb;or it may be used to support a bulb in a turret or conveyor of anautomatic lamp making machine.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved lamp bulb holder.

A further object of my invention is to provide a holder for lamp bulbswhich is readily adaptable for accommodating various size lamp bulbs.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds and the features of novelty whichcharacterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in theclaims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

Briefly stated, according to the invention, a lamp bulb is slipped overa bulb holder and is held in place by a series of fingers, one or moreof which are biased radially outwardly against the inner wall of thelamp. The location of the bulb holder fingers with respect to thespindle of the bulb holder is variable, as well as the distance that abulb may be slipped over the bulb holder.

The invention will best be understood when described in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 represents an assembled bulb holder and lamp bulb shown partly insection; and

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the working parts of the bulb holder.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the bulb holder consists of a hollowcylindrical body 1 having one or more elongated openings 2 in its walland the body being internally threaded at both ends. Retaining fingermembers 3 extend radially outwardly of the wall of the body 1, thefingers 3 having lips 3a which bear against the inside surface of thebody 1 as a stop to retain the fingers 3 in the body 1. A rubbercylindrical compression bushing or biasing member 4 bears against theinner surface of the fingers 3 and biases them radially outwardly of thebody 1 through the openings 2. When a bulb 5 is assembled over the bulbholder, the bushing 4 is compressed by the fingers 3. The fingers 3 inturn bear against the neck 5a or inside surface of a bulb 5 and retainthe bulb 5 in assembled position with respect to the bulb holder.

The bulb holder is held in proper position in the lamp making machine bymeans of a spindle or base member 6. The location of the bulb 5 withrespect to the spindle 6 is variable and can be fixed by the appropriateadjustment of an adjusting screw 7 threaded in the body 1 and spindle 6.Two lock nuts 8 fix the adjusting screw 7 in the selected position tothereby fix the location of the bulb 5 with respect to the spindle 6.

The bulb 5 may be slipped over the bulb holder a variable distance,which is determined by screwing an adjustable tip bolt 9 further into orout of the body 1. A tip lock nut 10 secures the tip bolt 9 in thedesired position.

The fingers 3 can be inserted or removed from the body 1 through theopening at either end of the body 1. When in assembled position, thefingers act to support the rubber compression bushing 4 in operativeposition within the interior of body 1 inasmuch as the bushing is fittedinto recesses 3b on the inner surfaces of the fingers. The lower edgewalls of such recesses prevent the bushing from dropping down out ofengagement with the fingers.

The fingers may be composed of any suitable highfriction material whichwill not scratch the bulb surface, such as a felt-containing material ora plastic composition. The fingers retain the bulb in assembled relationby frictionally engaging the inner surface of the bulb.

It is to be understood that while the construction shown by the drawingsutilizes three fingers 3 the number of fingers may be increased ordecreased at will.

The bulb holder herein described ofiers ease of assembly of the bulbwith the holder, while making it possible to change the size and/orshape of the bulb to be processed merely by changing the bulb holderfingers and possibly by adjusting the bulb holder tip. Various sizebulbs are readily located with respect to the holder spindle 6 byadjustment of the adjusting screw 7.

While I have described only a preferred modification of my invention byway of illustration, many modifications may occur to those skilled inthe art. I, therefore, wish to have it understood, that modificationsmay be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A lamp bulb holder for supporting a lamp bulb comprising a hollowcylindrical body having a plurality of openings extending through thewall of the body, a retaining finger in each of said openings, saidfingers each having an outer face extending beyond the wall of saidhollow body and an inner face located within the interior of said bodyprovided with a recess therein, and a cylindrical compression bushingsupported by the recesses in said fingers within the interior of saidbody and biasing said fingers radially outwardly through the openingsinto engagement with the inner surface of the lamp bulb.

2. A lamp bulb holder for supporting a lamp bulb comprising a hollowcylindrical body having at least one elongated opening in its wall, aretaining finger in said opening arranged to engage the inner surface ofthe lamp bulb so as to frictionally retain the bulb, a rubbercylindrical bushing bearing against the inner surface of the finger forbiasing said finger radially outwardly through the openings in saidbody, whereby said fingers engage and frictionally retain the bulb.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,430,598 Barsam Nov. 11, 1947 2,537,492 Tidland Ian. 9, 1951 2,576,254Fletcher Nov. 27, 1951

